Combined grate-front and stove.



No. 699,123.- Patented Apr. 29, |902.

C. F. WILSON.-

COMBI'NED GRATE FRONT AND STDVE.v

(Appxicacion med may ik, 1961.)

7J f '77 l I i i i Y lea. 2.

UNITED STATES' PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES EREMONT WILSON, ,OE CATLETTSRURG, KENTUCKY, AssIcNoR, BvY DIRECT AND MESNE AssIeNIvIENTs,.Tio GATE CITY'sTovE wORKs, INCORPORATED, OE CATLETTSBURC, KENTUCKY, A CORRORA'TION or KENTUCKY.

COMBml-:D ORME-FRONT AND STOVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,123, dated Applica-:n nea May 11, 1901.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES FREMONT WIL- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Catlettsburg, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented anew and useful Combined Grate-Front and Stove,of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to a combination grate-front and stove, and has for its o object the production of `a heater designed for the utilization of a fluid f nel-as, for instance, natural or artificial gas-and capable of be.- ing quickly converted for use either as agratefront or stove. j A

The great objection to the use of gas-heaters generally is the peculiar. odor produced by the imperfect combustion and the confie` quent liberation ofnoxiousgases; and the elimination of this odor is one ofthe primary zo objects ofthe present invention. This object isv accomplished by providing for a con-4 tinuous recirulationlofthe products of' corn-" v bution to the bu rnersuntil-.everyv vestige of-l combustible gas is entirelyconsumed.` y

A still further 'object of the invention isto' provide a heater of this character' which by reason of the -completeConsumptionof thefuel may be employed without afiue or chimney, if desired, and, which by reason of a 3o special peculiar equipment of-cold-air chamy bers or drums will maintain a sulicient circulation of air Within the apartmentfto insure the ventilation thereof without effecting the vitiation of the atmosphere circulatingthrough the 3 5 heater. Y Y

To the accomplishment of these and other objects, whichwill hereinafter more fully appear, one embodiment of the invention consists in the constructiony and arrangement of 4o parts to be described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and dened in the appended claims, althoughA it Will be evident that a wide range of structural variation may be resorted to in adapting the heater for use in.v various connections withoutk departing from the scope of the invention or materially affecting the advantages accruing therefrom. In Ysaid drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my device organized as a stove. Fig.

`line,2 2 of Fig. l.

`tion.

April 29, 1902.

serainaeas. (Numan.)

2lis-a central verticalv section thereof on the Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device organized as a grate-front and showingtheouter wall of one of the' cold-air chambers broken away andcertain other of the, parts in section'tous-how the manner in whichftnhe cold air circulates through the cold-airchambers or drums to effectl the ventilation ofA therooin when` the stove-casing is removed and thevdevice` is being used. as a grate-front. Fig. 4 is a detail View; partly in section, of the burnervcomprising a gascylinder, a series of Bunsen burner-tubes, and a mixing-chamber Within which the gas is mixed with air preparatory toits delivery to the point of ignition. "Fig, 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view of one of the cold-air chambers, showing one of the vcylindrical dampers in sectionL and indicating by `arrows. the direction lofmovement ofthe air circula- The precise Vmanner in as the invention involved is concerned, and

'i'nstead, therefore, of detailing the construction and mode of connectionv of the various sheet-metal plates employedjl shall devote i which the heater is A l`built up' is a matter of no importance so far The-grate-front, which isucapable of being converted into a stove by theemployment of a casing in a-Inanner to-be hereinafter specified, is defined between a pair of substantially parallel vertically-disposed cold-air chambers l and 2, defined between inner and outer-walls 3 and 4, connected at their front ends by what may be termed damper-casings 5 and 6. These dampercasings, which are approximately of cylindrical form and are provided with vertically-disposed series of openings 7, are located, as shown, at opposite sides of the heater, at the front thereof, and serve to impart to it the symmetrical ornamental appearance which is desirable in this class of devices. The chambers 1 and 2 being in spaced relation and preferably supported upon a suitable base S define an intermediate chamber having an open front and provided at the back with an asbestos fire-wall 9, terminating above the base 8 and below the top wall 10, which, like the base 8, closes the ends of the chambers 1 and 2 and serves to retain them rigidly in properly-spaced relation. This disposition of the grate or fire-wall 9, which inclines forwardly from its lower end, serves to define in the rear of the wall 9 a hotair flue 11, the back wall 12 of which is located behind and in spaced relation to the wall 9 and is secured at its opposite sides to the walls 3 of the cold-air chambers, these walls being preferably extended rearwardly a suicient distance to constitute the side walls of the hot-air iue 11.

Immediately in advance of the fire-wall 9 and adjacent to the lower end thereof is disposed a transverse series of Bunsen or other suitable burner-tubes 13, passing through a mixing-chamber 14 and supported at their lower ends by what may be termed a gascylinder 15, communicating, preferably at a point intermediate of its ends, with a gas-supply pipe 16, extending through the side of the heater adjacent to its bottom and communicating with a suitable source of supply. (Not shown.) The mixing-chamber 14 is provided, in a manner well understood in the art, with air-inlet openings 17in its bottom wall, and the burner-tubes at a point within the chamber 14 are apertured, as indicated at 18, to permit the air passing into the mixing-chamber to mix with the gas, and thus form a highly-combustible fluid for ignition at the upper ends of the tubes in the usual manner. evident that air supplied in this manner to the bulners will furnish the oxygen necessary for the proper combustion of the gas. It is impossible, however, to supply suiiicient oxygen to completely consume the fuel escaping from the tube, and it is for this reason that I contemplate a recirculation of the products of combustion or partiallyconsumed gas through the hot-air chamber 1l and back to the mixing-chamber 14, where afterits partial consumption it is again supplied to the burner to be further consumed, this action being maintained in a continuing cycle until all noxious gases are completely burned, to the end that an absolutely odorless heater is secured. Obviously the circulation induced It will bev rise. This is accomplishedby providing at the front of the stove or grate-front a fender 19, the front wall of which is rearwardly curved and connects at its upper end with a top wall 20, inclined inwardly or downwardly from the upper end of the fender 19 and sup ported at its inner end by a vertical partitionwall 21, which constitu tes the back wall of the fender and the front wall of what may be termed the burner-chamber 22, which, in effect, is a continuation of the flue 11, designed for the reception of the gas-cylinder 15, the mixing-chamber 14, and the burnertubes 13, so that the hot air circulating through the flue 11 and escaping from the lower end thereof under the fire-wall 9 will heat the gas-cylinder 15, 'thereby raising the tension of the gas, and after performing this function will escape into the mixing-chamber to be again combined with the gas and reburned at the point of ignition. The upper end of the burner chamber or fine extension 22 is closed, at least partially, by a guardplate 23, extending across the interval between the walls 3 and inclined from the upper end of the partition 12 to the front face of the fire-wall 9, forming,with the oppositelyinclined top wall 2O of the fender, a trough designed for the reception of any asbestos ber which may become detached from the wall 9. The primary object of the guard-plate 23, however, is to so obstruct the upper end of the chamber or flue extension 22 as to increase the force of the circulation of air from the lower end of the iiue 11 into the chamber 22 and around the burner-tubes, as it will be evident that all of the air passing from the flue 11 cannot be intermixed with the gas and must therefore pass upwardly around the mixing-chamber and tubes for consumption at the point of ignition. Another guardplate 24 is located to protect the inlet-open-y ing to the flue 11 above the upper end of the fire-wall 9, this guard-plate being preferably formed with a series of openings 25, through which the air readily passes from the front of the fire-wall to the rear thereof for redelivery to the burners.

We have now seen in what manner, the burner is supplied and how the combustion is maintained for the purpose of completely consuming the fuel in order to obviate the necessity for a chimney or flue and to effectually dispose of the noxious gases which are usually thrown off by heaters burning gas as a fuel. In addition to this feature of theinvention, however, I have premised that another object of the invention is to equipa IOO IIO

heater of this character with means for heating and inducing a circulation of air within the compartment without vitiating such air by the consumption of the oxygen therein.

This end is attained by means of the cold-air chambers or drums 1 and 2, located at opposite sides of the heater, as already pointed out. These cold-air chambers or drums are provided, as stated, with the damper-casings posed at the top of the stove and extended in 5 and i6 at their front ends, and their rear ends'are closed by walls'26, locatediin about the plane of 'the fire-wall 9, but beyond the opposite sides of the hot-airfilue 11, and these walls are'formed with openings 27 in order to permit the air of the compartment to flow freely Vinto the front ends of the chambers or drums through the'op'enings 7 in the dampercasingsand to escape through the open-ings 27 after having traversed the heated walls 3, which, as we have seen, define the combustion-chamber of the'heater.

-The circulation of airthrough the chambers land 2 is controlledlby means of cylindrical dampers28, located within the casings 5 and 6 and having openings 29, which may be brought into coincidence with the openings7 by rotating the dampers through the medium of ordinary detachable hand-wheels or handles 30, located above a hood 31, disfront thereofin a'manner to'impart 'an ornamental inish tothe heater, as well as to constitute an extension. of -the top wall calculated to assist in insuringthe backward circulation ofthe hot air into the upper end vof the ue 11. with other openings 29,'which when the openings 29 are vcoincident with the openings 7 of the casing will permit'the airilowinginto the ldampers to escape thence into thecoldLairl chambers for circulation therethrough prior to delivery through the openings 27 in the rear end walls of the chambers.

A convenient manner of attaching the hood is shown in the drawings, and consists in form- E ing a pair of depending nipples 32 upon the,

interior thereof;4 arranged to fit over the'cylindrcal upper ends -of the damper-casings 51 and 6,'which are Vextended above the top of the heater to facilitatethe attachment ofthe This particular arrangement is not absolutely essential, but is believed to be aA preferable construction, because it obviatesf hood.

the necessity for the employment of bolts or other securing devices and at the same time connects the opposite sides of thelieater in a manner to insure their rigid retention in spaced relation. It will be noted that the openings 7 into the damper-casings are located ati the sides thereof opposite the walls 3, so that the air passing into the chambers 1 and 2 does notvcome into contact with the heated products of combustion passing along the face of -the fire-wall or even with the hot air radiated therefrom and passing intothe room in front of the heater.

Thev foregoing description is complete as to the organization of the heater for use as a grate-front, and for the purpose of converting the heater into'a stove it is simply necessary to provide a casing 33, preferably of rectangular form, as shown,"an`d comprising the top wall 33, a 'back wall 33h, and side walls 33C. This casing is readily attachable and detachable for facilitating the conversion of the device for use either as a stove or grate- The da-mpers are also provided' front, and when applied the front edge of the top wall 33 is preferably slipped under 'and retained by the rear side of the hood 31,the retention of the casing in place being additionally facilitated by the provision of a notch 34 in one of its side walls for the receptionof the gas-pipe 16. i

When the device .is used as a stove, the dampers 2S are closed, and las therrearwall 33b of the casing 33 is verticalI 'a comparatively large dead-air chamber 35 may be defined within the casing 33 between the back wall thereof and the back wall 12 of the ue l1, and this dead-air chamber or space will be increased to the extent ofthe dimensions ofthe chambers 1 and v2, because these cham-- bers are -now in` communication with the interior of the stove-casing, andthe circulation of air is prevented by the closing of the dampers. It will now be seen that the heat generated by the combustion infront of the fire-Wall will serve, by reason of the conductivity of the still air within the surrounding chambers, toheat the walls of the stove-casing and effect the radiation of heat int-the manner well understood in the art.

From'th'eforegoin g it will be observed that Ihave produced a simple and eifective combination grate-front and stove 'designed for the complete consumption of artificial or other vgas andadapted for odorless operation with'- out the use of a Hue for carrying off the products of combustion and also embodying heat'- ing Vchambers or drums designed to heat'and to maintain the 'circulation of air withinthe apartment, thereby simultaneously heating.v

andventilating the same; but While the present embodiment ofthe invention is thought at this time to be .preferable I' do not wish to limit myself to thevstructural details defined, as, onthecontrary, I reserve the right t`o effect such changes, modifications, andfvariations thereof as may be fairlycomprehend'- ed within the scope of the protection prayed. What I claim is- 1. In a heater of the character described, the combination with a fire-wall and a back ,wall defining an intermediate hot-air iiue, of a' partition disposed in advance of theflrewall at the lower end thereof and defining an intermediate burner-chamber constitutinga continuation of the hot-airlu'e; a series of burner-tubeslocated within the burner-chamber and'in communication with a'source of gas-supply, said burner-chamber being prolOC IIO

IIS

vided with a` constricted opening at its upper f end through which the burner-tubes extend, whereby the combustion produced at the upper ends of the burner-tubes will inducev a circulation of air around the'fire-wall, through the hot-air line, into the burner-chamber, and

a-partition located'in advance of the lower end of the lire-wall to define an intermediate burner-chamber constituting a continuation of the hot-air fiue, a series of burner-tubes located within the burner-chamber and extended through a constricted opening at the upper end thereof, a gas-cylinder supporting the burner-tubes and in communication with a source of gas-supply, a mixer located within the burner-chamber at a point above the gascylinder and having communication with the tubes and with the interior of the burnerchamber, respectively, whereby the combustion produced at the upper ends of the burnertubes will induce a recirculation around the fire-wall and through the hot-air fiue to the interior of the burner-chamber to cause the heated air to circulate around and heat the gas-cylinder, part of the heated air then passing into the mixing chamber, and another part passing around the mixing-chamber and around the burner-tubes for redelivery at the point of ignition.

3. A heater of the character described having an open front and provided at its opposite sides with separate non-communicating vertically-disposed cold-air chambers defined between inner and outer walls connected at their front ends by a damper-casing, and at their rear ends by an apertu red rear end Wall, a fire-walland a back wall defining an intermediate hot-air tine at the back of the heater, a gas-burner located in front of the fire-wall at the lower end thereof to effect a circulation around the fire-wall for the purpose specified, A

their rear ends by apertured rear end walls, v

a fire-wall and a back wall disposed transversely between the cold-air chamber and dening a hot-air flue at the back of the heater, a gas-burner located in front of the lire-walt at the lower end thereof, to effect a circulation around the fire-wall for the purpose specifled, and rotary dampers mounted within the damper-casings and designed to control the circulation of air'through the cold-air chambers.

5. Aheater of the character described, having an open-front combustion-chamber defined between cold-air chambers at its opposite sides and a hot-air fiue at its back, inner and outer walls defining the cold-air chambers and connected at the front'of the heater by damper-casings, and at the back of the heater by apertured rear end walls, a fire-wall and a back wall located at the back of the heater and constituting the opposite walls of the hot-air flue, a gas-burner located in front of the fire-wall at the lower end thereof, to effeet a circulation of air around the fire-wall for the purpose specified, dampers located within the damper-casings to control the circulation of air through the cold-air chambers, and a removable casing having an open front and designed to inclose the heater' to convert the latter into a stove.

6. In a heater of the character described, the combination with inner and outer side walls defining cold-air chambers at the opposite sides of the heater, of apertured cylindrical damper-casings located at the front ends of the cold-air chambers and extended above the heater, a fire-wall and a back wall defining an intermediate hot-air fiue extending between the rear ends of the cold-air chambers, a gas-burner located in front of the tirewall at the lower end thereof, a hood provided with thimbles fitting over the upper ends of the damper-casings, and apertured dampers within the damper-casings.

7. In a heater of the character described the combination with inner and outer side walls defining cold-air chambers located at opposite sides of the heater, of apertured cylindrical damper-casings disposed at the front ends of the cold-air chambers and extended above. the heater, a fire-wall and a back wall defining aliot-air fiue extending between the rear ends of the cold-air chambers, a gasburner located in front of the fire-wall at the lower end thereof, a hood provided with thimbles fitting over the upper ends of the dampercasings, apertured dampers within the damper-casings, and a stove-casing detachably retained by the hood.

8. In a heater of the character described, the combination with inner and outer side walls defining cold-air chambers at opposite sides of the heater, of apertured cylindrical damper-casings located at the front ends of the cold-air chambers, apertured rear walls defining the rear ends of said chambers, a hood connecting the upper ends of the damper-casings, cylindrical dampers located within the damper-casings, damper-operating devicesv connected with the dampers and located above the hood, a fire-wall extending between the cold-air chambers at the rear ends thereof, and a gas-burner located in front of the firewall.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

.CHARLES FREMONT IVILSON.

\Vitnesses:

J oHN B. VINsoN, W. O. HAMPTON.

IOO 

